Speakers & Moderators

Dr. Salah AL-Mazidi, Senior Advisor, DG Office, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research

Salah AL-Mazidi, Senior Advisor of Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR), obtained his first degree, a Bachelor of Science in civil and environmental engineering, in 1977 at the University of Southern California. While working at KISR he obtained his Master of Philosophy in technology planning and decision making at the Cranfield Institute of Technology in the United Kingdom. He then graduated with his PhD in 1999 in R&D policy and technology management at the University of Portsmouth, United Kingdom. He has over 30 years of experience, both research and academic, in various science and technology fields where he presented several research papers, most importantly: National and international development and trends on science and technology polices, R&D technology and research park management; Strategic, operational, organizational and management planning; Marketing and business development and implementation of knowledge management. AL-Mazidi also plays a lead role in KISR as a member of various committees and in the following research and managerial positions: Chairman of the Innovation & Creative Thinking Program Committee; Seconded, Cultural Attaché in Kuwait Embassy in London, U.K.; Division Director, Division of Policy and Planning, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research; Chairman of the Kuwait National Committee for Technology Transfer; Higher Council of Planning - Public Policies, task member for studying research parks and high technology transfer; Advisor to the committee for preparing Environmental Strategic Plan for the State of Kuwait, Environment Protection Authority.

John Andary, PE, LEED® Accredited Professional, Principal, Integral Group

John Andary has over 25 years of consulting engineering experience with a strong background in project management and team leadership. Throughout his career he has worked in various market sectors including higher education, health care, civic, industry, commercial, hospitality, recreation and laboratory design. Andary believes that sustainable design is an engineer’s social responsibility. His passion for this cause has led him to work on numerous LEED projects, including six projects targeting or achieving Platinum certification. He was the principal sustainable design consultant and energy concept developer for the Research Support Facility on the campus of the Department of Energy; National Renewable Energy Laboratory which, at 350,000 square feet, will be the largest LEED Platinum Zero Energy Building in North America and possibly the world. Andary has also been consulting on the master plan for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory campus, which is targeting net zero energy.

Joel A. Ayala, Director, Governor’s Office of Economic Development, State of California

Joel Ayala was appointment by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger as Director of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GoED) to make it easier to start, expand, or keep a business in California. Ayala is working to facilitate and stimulate economic growth through the development and implementation of strategic policies and partnerships with the private sector community, local, and national organizations that enhance human and capital infrastructure development as well as increase California’s competitive advantage in the global marketplace. Prior to joining the state, he served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce.

David E. Baker, AURP 2^nd Vice President, Vice President, External Affairs, Illinois Institute of Technology; Executive Director, University Technology Park at IIT

David E. Baker, Vice President for External Affairs at Illinois Institute of Technology is responsible for the University’s governmental relations, technology park development, and trustee relations. Over the past six years he has worked to create the University Technology Park at IIT of which he serves as Executive Director. Most recently he has taken on staff leadership of the University’s strategic planning process. He also helped open the Perspectives/IIT Math and Science Academy, a public grade 6-12 charter school in September 2008. Baker holds a Master of Arts from Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies, Bachelor of Arts in History, with a minor in Economics, from Stanford University and currently serves at the 2nd Vice President on the Association of University Research Parks Board of Directors.

Austin Beggs, AURP Past President; Vice President, Corporate Relations, Innovation Place

After graduating from the University of Saskatchewan (U of S), with his Bachelor of Arts in 1974, Austin Beggs joined the U of S staff, first as Special Assistant to the President, then as the University Space Manager, and later as part of Physical Plant. In 1980 he was recruited by the Saskatchewan Economic Development Corporation to commence operations of Innovation Place, the research and development park adjacent to the U of S.

He moved to British Columbia for four years but returned to Saskatoon in 1986 to resume work with Innovation Place. He oversaw the expansion of Saskatchewan’s research and development park system into the city of Regina, serving as acting General Manager of the Regina Research Park, (now Innovation Place – Regina), from March 1999 to May 2000. He is now the Vice President of Corporate Relations for Innovation Place.  Representing Innovation Place, Beggs has consulted widely, including the countries of Chile, Malaysia, Panama and Thailand, as well as several locations in Canada and the U.S., including most recently Ohio State University.  Beggs is a member of the International Association of Science Parks (IASP), located in Malaga, Spain and Past President of the Association of University Research Parks (AURP), based in Tucson, AZ.

Richard A. Bendis, Publisher, Innovation Daily

Richard Bendis is a distinguished and successful entrepreneur, corporate executive, venture capitalist, investment banker, innovation and technology-based economic development leader, international speaker and consultant in Innovation and Economy Building. Bendis currently serves as the founding President and Chief Executive Officer of Innovation America (IA), a Global Innovation Intermediary focused on accelerating the growth of the entrepreneurial innovation economy in America.

Bendis has been appointed to several national innovation-related organizations and committees including the White House U.S. Innovation Partnership (USIP) Advisory Task Force and Co-Chair of the Small Business Innovation Research Committee, the National Governor’s Association (NGA) Science and Technology Council of the State's Executive Committee, the State Federal Technology Task Force, the National Academies (NAS) Committee on “Competing in the 21st Century: Best Practices in State and Regional Innovation Initiatives”; National Academies National Research Review of “an Assessment of the SBIR Program"; National Institute of Standards and Technology Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) National Advisory Board; U.S. Small Business Administration’s Angel Capital Electronic Network (ACENET) Board of Directors; American Academy for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Nominating Committee and the American Association Research Competitiveness Program Advisory Committee; Council on Competitiveness – Clusters of Innovation Committee.

Dr. Anthony M. Boccanfuso, Executive Director, University-Industry Demonstration Partnership

Dr. Anthony (Tony) Boccanfuso holds a PhD in Inorganic Chemistry from the University of South Carolina and earned his Baccalaureate in Political Science and Chemistry from Furman University. Boccanfuso began his professional career as a Science Policy Fellow at the American Chemical Society where he worked within the society’s government relations and science policy division. Before taking on this position, Boccanfuso was Director for Research and Economic Development at the University of South Carolina and currently retains the position of Senior Director for Strategic Alliances within the College of Engineering and Computing. Boccanfuso has had a distinguished career in the research management and science policy arenas and has held a variety of positions at the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health and PricewaterhouseCoopers as well as several universities. He currently serves on several boards including the National Hydrogen Association, the MedStar Health Research Institute and the Hydrogen Education Foundation for which he is the current chair.

J. Michael Bowman, AURP Past President, Chairman and President, Delaware Technology Park, Inc.

Since 1998, Mike Bowman has been Chairman of the Board and President of the Delaware Technology Park Inc., (DTP) a collaboration of the State of Delaware, University of Delaware and high technology industries such as advanced materials, life sciences and information technology. In 2008, he served as President of the Board of the Association of University Research Parks, which includes about 170 U.S. and Canadian research parks. From 1990 to 1996, Bowman was Vice President & General Manager for DuPont Advanced Materials and Systems, a one billion-dollar global business unit with 2,500 employees. Over a 30-year career at DuPont he served professional and managerial roles in research, marketing and manufacturing. Mike holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Cincinnati and attended graduate business and financial programs at Wharton and Columbia. In 2000, he was presented the UC Distinguished Alumnus Award and in 2009 was awarded the AURP Career Achievement Award.

Gary P. Broersma, CFM, IFMA Fellow, Director of Strategic Facility Planning and Development, Covance

Gary P. Broersma, CFM, IFMA Fellow is the Director of Strategic Facility Planning and Development for Covance. He has over thirty years of experience as a facility management professional for science and research facilities. Broersma has been an active member of the International Facility Management Association since 1989, serving on the board of directors 2000-2009 as IFMA Chair, Past Chair, First Vice Chair, Second Vice Chair and Director. IFMA is the world’s largest and most widely recognized international association for professional facility managers, supporting more than 19,500 members in 78 countries.

Kevin T. Byrne, MBA, AURP 1^st Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, The University Financing Foundation, Inc.

Kevin Byrne spent his early career at Arthur Andersen with a primary focus in the real estate and financial services industries. In 1997, Byrne founded Byrne & Associates, which focused on providing investment-banking services to small and middle market companies. After earning his Master of Business Administration with honors from the Wharton School of Business in 2001, Byrne joined a real estate development firm as the Chief Financial Officer, managing a balance sheet of over $200 million and leading new transactions of over $150 million in just two years. Byrne joined The University Financing Foundation (TUFF) in 2003 and has managed all aspects of the firm including the firm’s new investments in education and research projects, which total over $800 million.  Byrne oversees the operations of the firm and through Byrne’s leadership the firm is involved in all aspects of research park creation and ongoing operations including the development of facilities.  He has crafted full-scale park business plans, assisted in the strategic and master planning of research parks and has helped several global parks with the creation of innovative investment structures that enable parks to maximize the efficiency of their limited resources. Byrne is an honors graduate from Furman University, and currently serves as 1st Vice President of the Association of University Research Parks Board of Directors.

Clark H. Byrum, Jr., President & Chief Executive Officer, Biologics Modular, LLC

Clark H. Byrum, Jr. currently serves as President and Chief Executive Officer for Biologics Modular, LLC. Byrum has leadership responsibility for all aspects of company operations, including the development and implementation of the company’s commercial, operational and marketing plan. Byrum is a co-founder of Biologics Modular and the driving force of the company since its inception. He brings an extensive background in corporate management and financial services. Prior to joining Biologics, he worked as an investment banker for more than 15 years. He advised clients on over half of a billion dollars in transactions for clients ranging from large, publicly traded companies to not-for-profits. Byrum is a member of the Boards of Alexandria Property Partners, Key Corporation, Marian University School of Business, Biologics Modular, LLC and he holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Kelley School of Business at Indiana University.

Rick Cantwell, President and Chief Executive Officer, Odell International LLC

Rick Cantwell has 36 years in design-build, program, project, and technology management, security engineering and logistics in commercial, healthcare, government, military, entertainment, and education sectors.  Cantwell graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, received his Professional Engineer license from the State of Virginia, earned his master's degree in civil engineering from the University of Texas, and completed the Construction Executive Program at Stanford.  Cantwell completed a distinguished 20-year career in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.  As MACOM Engineer, U.S. Army Special Operations Command, Cantwell performed planning, programming, budgeting, environmental assessment, and project execution.

Ruth M. Contino, Divisions Senior Manager, Strategic Partners and Technology Outreach, Cyber Intelligence Division (CID) & Intelligence Systems Division (ISD), Northrop Grumman Information Systems

Ruth Contino is the Cyber Intelligence Division (CID) and Intelligence Systems Division (ISD) Senior Manager for Strategic Partners and Technology Outreach for the Information Systems Sector. In her role, she is responsible for identifying and developing collaborative research and technology efforts with our strategic partners, including universities, industry and government, to develop and support open innovation and a more comprehensive research and development plan. Contino has been a Northrop Grumman employee since 1999. Prior to her current role, she has taken on several other roles within Northrop Grumman--Engineering Department Manager; Program Manager, Proposal Manager and Principal Investigator. Prior to Northrop Grumman, Contino spent a couple of years as a software consultant with Rational Software/IBM and also with Lockheed Martin. While at Lockheed Martin, she led several data fusion programs and their associated deployments to operational sites; worked on correlation algorithms, situational analysis research, human computer interfaces for early recognition of targets, and fire and planning modules in a battle management system. Contino has an extensive background in management, customer interactions, and software engineering within the intelligence and defense arena.

Charles F. D’Agostino, Executive Director, Louisiana Business & Technology Center

Charles F. D’Agostino earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Bachelor of Arts & Sciences in Chemistry from Louisiana State University. He received the Phi Delta Kappa – Excellence in Research Award in 1989 and Faculty Fellow designation from the Foundation of the Mid South (1993-1994). He has served on the boards of the National Business Incubation Association (1991-1998), the Association of University Research Parks (1999-2005), the Greater Baton Rouge Port Commission (four terms), and currently serves on the Louisiana Legislature’s Small Business Entrepreneurship Commission. He has been active in economic development as a practitioner and consultant for over 30 years. Founder of the Louisiana Business & Technology Center (LBTC) of Louisiana State University, D'Agostino has been its executive director since 1988. The LBTC serves as LSU’s business incubator, small business development center, technology transfer office, and disaster recovery business counseling center. In 2005, the LBTC was selected from over 1,000 international members as the National Business Incubation Association’s business incubator of the year. Under D'Agostino’s direction, the LBTC added a 30-seat mobile classroom to conduct rural entrepreneurship training and disaster business counseling in 37 rural communities and hurricane-impacted areas annually. This program has won awards from the Southern Growth Policies Board, NBIA, and the Excalibur Award from the Association of University Research Parks for its disaster recovery programs. D’Agostino was a 2010 Fulbright Specialist in Economic Development assigned to the Universita of L’Aquila in Italy to assist in developing a business disaster recovery program after the 2009 Earthquake that devastated L’Aquila. He also assisted the university in developing a business incubator as part of the recovery plan. In 2011, D’Agostino was honored with NBIA’s Lifetime Achievement Award for his role in business incubation. 

Brian P. Darmody, JD, AURP Immediate Past President, Associate Vice President of Research and Economic Development, University System of Maryland; Special Assistant Vice Chancellor for Technology Development, University of Maryland

Brian Darmody has led projects organizing the University's first technology transfer office, authoring reforms to the state's ethics legislation for entrepreneurial start ups, developing legislation, creating the Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO), initiating Research Parks Maryland (RPM), the nation's first statewide research park organization, and serving as director of the University of Maryland Center for Applied Policy Studies (UMCAPS). He is the principal author of the Power of Place, and Power of Place 2.0: The Power of Innovation, national policy documents focused on technology-led economic development and serves as co-principal investigator on the $3.5 million Proof of Concept Alliances, a Department of Defense funded commercialization project, and has served as a reviewer to the National Science Foundation and the National Academy of Science. Darmody previously served as a staff member for the U.S. House of Representatives, the Maryland General Assembly in Annapolis, Maryland, and in the Office of the Attorney-Advisor, U.S. Health Care Financing Administration. He holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Baltimore and an undergraduate degree from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Gregory W. Deason, AURP Past President; Vice President and Executive Director, Purdue Research Park

Gregory Deason leads a Purdue University-affiliated team that is transforming the Purdue Research Park in West Lafayette into an engine for Indiana's economic development initiatives. As Vice President, Deason is also the Director of the Purdue Research Park and has broad responsibilities related to a diverse portfolio of real estate. Deason is leading statewide efforts to build research parks and incubators throughout Indiana. This includes developments in Northwest Indiana (near Chicago), Southeast Indiana (near Louisville) and Indianapolis. He is involved in several technology parks throughout the state of Indiana as well as the Indiana Business Incubation Society. Under his leadership, the Purdue Research Park was recognized by AURP as the Outstanding Science/Research Park in 2004, and for the Excellence in Technology Transfer Award in 2005. Deason serves as Past President on the Association of University Research Parks Board of Directors and participates in numerous community and civic activities.

Don C. Duval, Vice President Business Development, MaRS Discovery District

Don Duval is an energetic, innovative business leader known for his skills in strategic thinking, program development, collaboration, and implementation in growth-oriented organizations.  He has demonstrated success as a public speaker, a musician, an entrepreneur, an angel investor, an engineering professor, and as a leader at MaRS. At MaRS, Duval is responsible for client services including advisory services, educational programming, community engagement, and talent management.  He is also responsible for corporate strategy, the MaRS operational performance management program, and the collaboration technology portal. As part of his broader provincial role, Duval is also the head of the Toronto Regional Innovation Centre, the largest member in the Ontario Network of Excellence. Outside of MaRS, Duval serves as an adjunct professor in the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Engineering and is an Executive Board member for the Queen’s Players Toronto Theatre Company, Nepali Children’s Education Program and JUMP Math.  He is also the Toronto Chair for the Manning Innovation Awards, sits on the Advisory Boards for the Canadian Innovation Exchange and Spin Master Innovation Fund, and is a past recipient of the Governor General of Canada’s Canadian NCE Young Innovators Award.  He holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Queen's University and a Master of Applied Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Toronto.

Dr. John B. Elstrott, Jr., Professor of Entrepreneurship and the Executive Director of the Levy-Rosenblum Institute for Entrepreneurship, Tulane University’s A.B. Freeman School of Business; Chairman of the Board, Whole Foods Market, Inc.

Dr. John Elstrott teaches courses in entrepreneurship and has research interests in the areas of entrepreneurship, family business, strategic planning, regional economic development, technology commercialization, and environmental economics. He has won numerous teaching awards including the National Freedoms Foundation Leavey Award for Excellence in Private Enterprise Education, the Edwin Appel Prize for bringing Entrepreneurial Vitality to Academe, and the James T. Murphy award for Teaching Excellence. He was named the Ernst and Young Louisiana Entrepreneur of the Year in 1997 for his support of entrepreneurship education. In 2007 Elstrott was awarded the Howard W. Wissner Award in recognition of a professor who has displayed excellence in teaching, interest in students, and their activities and exceptional efforts to improve the A. B. Freeman School of Business. As Executive Director of the Levy-Rosenblum Institute for Entrepreneurship, Elstrott manages entrepreneurship research projects and programs designed to train and inspire entrepreneurs. The institute also contributes to regional economic development through the coordination of joint academic, government, and business initiatives that stimulate private enterprise.

Dr. Norman C. Francis, President, Xavier University of Louisiana

Dr. Norman C. Francis and Xavier are virtually synonymous. As president of the nation's only historically Black and Catholic university, Francis has guided Xavier's growth both in size and dimension. During his tenure, the University has more than doubled its enrollment, broadened its curriculum, expanded its campus, and strengthened its financial base. Its tradition of academic excellence has been further enhanced. Francis, the longest-sitting university president in the U.S. (since 1968) and himself an alumnus, has been at Xavier for more than five decades as an administrator. He is credited with being the catalyst for nearly every building constructed on the campus during the past four decades. The campus itself has been physically enlarged with the acquisition of the adjacent properties to the East and West of the original main campus. Francis enjoys a prestigious national reputation, of which Xavier is a primary beneficiary. He has served in an advisory role to eight U.S. presidential administrations – not only on education issues, but civil rights as well – in addition to serving on 54 boards and commissions. In 2006 then-President George W. Bush presented him with the nation’s highest civil award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 2009 he was named one of “America’s Best Leaders” by U.S. News Media Group and the Center for Public Leadership (CPL) at Harvard Kennedy's School of Government.

Kevin Gamache, Facility Security Officer, Texas A&M University System; Director, Multi-Program Research & Education Facility (MPREF), Texas A&M University Research Park

As Director of Texas A&M University Research Park’s Multi-Program Research & Education Facility (MPREF), Kevin Gamache oversees the secure infrastructure to support multidisciplinary scientific, engineering, and public policy research in close proximity to the Texas A&M University campus in College Station, Texas.  Jointly supported by the Texas Engineering Experiment Station and Texas A&M University’s Vice President for Research, the facility supports sensitive national security, homeland security, nonproliferation, and national defense research. Gamache holds a Master of Science in management, with a concentration in management information systems from Lesley University, Cambridge Massachusetts; a Master of Science in national resource strategy from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Washington, D.C. and a Bachelor of Science in biology from Angelo State University, San Angelo Texas.  He also completed a Graduate Certificate in information operations and strategy from the National Defense University in Washington, D.C. and a Graduate Certificate in homeland security from the George Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas.  He is currently a PhD candidate in water management and hydrological sciences from Texas A&M University with a research focus on the national security implications of critical resource shortages in the 21st Century.

Rick Geritz, Chief Executive Officer, CyberMap, Inc. and Business Social

Rick Geritz is currently Chief Executive Officer of Business Social, a company that builds technology that connects businesses to the social networks of their customers. Prior to Business Social, Geritz founded BDMetrics, an online lead generation and media company, where he was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer from 2004-2009. Prior to BDMetrics, he held senior-level, executive roles for SafeNet (http://www.safenet-inc.com) including President and General Manager for their silicon and enterprise software businesses and Executive Vice President and board member at Rockville-based ICARUS Corporation, an engineering cost modeling software company, where he led the company's worldwide product strategy and operations, and subsequently led its sale to Aspen Technology (NASDAQ; AZPN). Geritz has been a featured guest speaker on network security on TV and radio shows such as “Today” and “Tech TV.” Geritz holds a patent for online business networking and was named one of Baltimore’s “Top 40 under 40” executives, and “Innovator of the Year” for BDMetrics.

Norma E. Grace, (retired) Vice Chancellor for Technology and Economic Development, University of New Orleans

Norma Grace retired from the University of New Orleans in May, 2008 as Vice Chancellor for Technology and Economic Development.  During her 19 years at UNO, she was involved in more than $300 million in capital construction, including the 56-acre Research and Technology Park.  She served as the university’s real estate development officer; led the university’s initiatives in economic and business development in the region, including the university’s development of research parks and multiple public/private partnerships; and coordinated activities with the UNO Foundations. Grace holds a master's degree in public administration.  She spent 10 years in the private sector in Finance and Acquisitions before joining UNO in late 1989. She is currently on the boards of the Bureau of Government Research, Women’s Leadership Initiative, New Orleans Federal Alliance, Crimestoppers, Alliance Francaise and past president of the Women’s Professional Council.   She served on the board of AURP for six years, and as its President in 2005.  She was a board member of the Sewerage and Water Board and the Board of Liquidation of the City of New Orleans.  In 2008, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association of University Research Parks (AURP).  Other awards include CityBusiness Women of the Year and the 1998 Iberville Award for Distinguished Contribution to Canal Street.  Grace is married to Robert Sternhell and has two sons, Alex and Colin. 

David Green, AIA, LEED® AP, Senior Urban Designer, Perkins + Will

David Green focuses on large-scale, national and international planning and urban design projects for the firm. He has led the execution of hundreds of projects in the past 20 years ranging from the creation of policy and regulatory systems to multi-thousand acre urban design and planning projects. His work and research focuses on issues of development, particularly within an urban framework, and the creation of a strategy for sustainable cities that includes aspects of public policy implementation, criteria for implementation of regulatory controls as well as strategic infrastructure implementation. Green received the American Institute of Architects’ Bronze Medal in 2008 for his work in community planning. Green has been a member of Georgia Tech College of Architecture Faculty since 1992 where he teaches architecture, planning and urban design and is appointed Professor of the Practice of Architecture. He lectures widely on issues of urban design, planning and architecture.

George Harker, Senior Associate Vice Chancellor, University of New Orleans

Dr. George Harker is the Senior Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic Development at the University of New Orleans.  As part of his responsibilities he handles Technology Transfer and the UNO Research and Technology Park for UNO. He has been at UNO since February 2008.  Previously he was the Executive Director of the Wright Fuel Cell Group (WFCG) and the Associate Vice President for Technology Transfer at Case Western Reserve University (2007-2008).  Before joining Case Western, Dr. Harker was Director – Office of Technology Licensing (OTL) and Assistant Vice-Provost for Economic Development and Technology Ventures at the Georgia Institute of Technology (GA Tech) from 2001-2007.  From 1999-2001, Dr. Harker was the Director – Office of Technology Transfer at West Virginia University.  Prior to 1999, Dr. Harker held a variety of positions in large, mid-size and small companies, including DuPont, Chemtex International, Ensign-Bickford Company and Nelson Brothers, Inc.  His business experience covers a wide variety of functions, including Technology Transfer, R&D, Manufacturing, Marketing and Sales, Business Development, Strategic Alliance and Joint Venture Development, Project Management, Financial Analysis and Legal.  He has conducted business in over 45 countries on 6 continents.  Dr. Harker earned his Ph.D. in physical chemistry from the University of New Orleans and a Bachelor of Science in chemistry from Louisiana State University-New Orleans.

Jeffrey Harris, Managing Partner, Harris/IIC Partners, Executive Search Worldwide

Jeffrey Harris is the founder and Managing Partner of Harris / IIC Partners where he leads the firm's Higher Education, Academic Medicine and General Management practices.  Harris conducts senior leadership assignments on behalf of clients that range from higher education institutions and academic medical centers to multi -national corporations on an international basis. In 2010, Harris was appointed to the Board of IIC Partners as Vice Chair for the Americas. Prior to establishing Harris / IIC Partners in 1997, Harris worked five years for a leading retained executive search firm where he concentrated on search assignments on behalf of investment banking, corporate finance and financial services clients.  He is a member of the Healthcare/Life Sciences, Financial Services, and Board Search Practice Groups of IIC Partners, American College of Healthcare Executives, Healthcare Financial Management Association, Educause, American Medical Informatics Association, Drug Information Association, and National Association of Corporate Directors and holds a bachelor’s degree from Ithaca College and a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Dayton. 

Craig Harvey, GISP, Chief Operations Officer and Executive Vice President, NVision Solutions, Inc.

Craig Harvey brings more than 20 years of geographical information system (GIS) experience in nearly all aspects of the technology. Harvey was a public servant working more than 15 years with the U.S. Geological Survey as a member of the Senior GeoSpatial Staff. Harvey left public service to join a fledgling startup company located at NASA’s Stennis Space Center in 1999. Intent on positioning a technical staff to capitalize on the Web-based evolution of geospatial data processing and data delivery, Harvey helped found NVision Solutions in early 2002. NVision, under Harvey’s leadership, has doubled in size and revenue each of its first four years and continues to grow over the past two years. NVision has amassed an impressive catalog of awards, including the U.S. Department of Commerce Minority Global Technology Firm of the Year – Southeast Region 2011.

Ellen J. Hemmerly, MBA, President and Executive Director, bwtech@UMBC Research and Technology Park

Ellen Hemmerly is President and Executive Director of the UMBC Research Park Corporation and Special Assistant to the Vice President for Institutional Advancement at University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC).  She is responsible for overseeing a 515,000-square-feet high technology research and technology park (bwtech@UMBC), which includes three incubators, an accelerator and research park, and two technology commercialization programs (ACTiVATE and INNoVATE). Hemmerly sits on the boards of the New Markets Venture Fund, Greater Catonsville Chamber of Commerce (Vice President and Chair, Economic Development), Maryland Business Incubator Association, Research Parks Maryland, the Greater Baltimore Technology Council (term expired 2011) and is a member of Baltimore Angels.   Hemmerly is Past President of the Association of University Research Parks and is a 2006 graduate of Leadership Maryland.  In 2007, she was elected by The Daily Record as one of the Fifty Most Influential Marylanders and as Business Person of the Year by the Greater Catonsville Chamber of Commerce.  In the same year, UMBC Research Park Corporation was selected as a Heavy Hitter in Real Estate by the Baltimore Business Journal.  In 2009, Hemmerly was selected as one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women by The Daily Record and received one of SmartCEO’s Brava! Women Business Achievement Awards. Prior to joining UMBC, Hemmerly was a Vice President at the Baltimore Development Corporation (BDC) serving as its Senior Lender and Director of the Enterprise Development Fund, the City’s venture capital fund.  After receiving her MBA from Cornell University’s Johnson School of Management, Hemmerly spent six years as a banker with Mellon Bank (formerly Girard Bank).   Hemmerly has a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Moravian College, where she graduated magna cum laude.

Dr. Steven Heymsfield, Executive Director and George A. Bray, Jr. Endowed Super Chair in Nutrition, Pennington Biomedical Research Center

Dr. Larry H. Hollier, Chancellor, Louisiana State University Health Science Center New Orleans

Dr. Larry H. Hollier has served as Chancellor of LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans since November 14, 2005. Comprising six health professions schools, LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans educates Louisiana's health workforce, research scientists, and public health policymakers. Hollier is also a practicing vascular surgeon. Hollier was appointed Dean on January 1, 2004. During his first 18 months, he reorganized the Dean’s office and redefined fiscal control of the School of Medicine. He implemented mission-based budgeting, aligning pay with performance, and allowing reallocation of an additional $7 million to support the basic science and translational research efforts. As a result of the increased growth of research, the school’s NIH funding increased over 50%. Hollier continued to serve as both Chancellor and Dean of Medicine until September 2007 when he appointed Dr. Steve Nelson as Dean of Medicine. The day after the levees broke flooding 80% of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, Hollier led the efforts to temporarily relocate the Health Sciences Center to Baton Rouge. This involved identifying classroom space, new clinical rotation sites, the provision of housing for hundreds of displaced students and faculty by arranging for trailers and a Baltic Ferry to be made available for them in Baton Rouge. More than 400 residents and 300 students were reassigned to undamaged facilities and were back working within less than 4 weeks. Classes resumed in Baton Rouge four weeks after the storm, with high attendance by the students. Hollier managed a $180 million overall loss for the Health Sciences Center, rebuilding the clinical enterprise, developing new partnerships, and negotiating a $50 million commitment from state leadership to ensure the survival of the Health Sciences Center. He also oversaw the repair and renovation of the Health Sciences Center campus and led the move back to New Orleans.

Greg Hyer, Associate Director, University Research Park, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Greg Hyer is Associate Director of University Research Park, University of Wisconsin-Madison. University Research Park is a strategic component of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s technology commercialization efforts and the center of Wisconsin’s emerging biotechnology industry. Hyer has managed the development, leasing and operation of 725,000 square feet in 18 buildings, including three technology-based Innovation Centers (incubators); is leading the design team for a second 275-acre research park and manages the leasing of all Park land. Overall, the Park contains 37 buildings, 115 companies and 1.8 million square feet on 260 acres. Prior to joining University Research Park, Hyer served as Deputy Secretary for the State of Wisconsin Department of Development and an advisor to three Wisconsin governors on budget and policy issues in criminal justice, higher education and local government finance. Hyer served two terms as an elected member of the Board of Directors of the Association of University Research Parks (AURP) and served on the Executive Committee as Treasurer and Second Vice President. Hyer regularly presents at national conferences and has consulted on park projects in Texas, Ohio and Florida. Hyer has a master’s degree in public administration from Indiana University. Hyer is also the elected Chair of the Board of Supervisors of the Town of Cross Plains, Wisconsin and serves on the Town Plan Commission. 

Gary K. Jones, Washington, D.C. Representative, Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer

Gary Jones is responsible for providing Federal Laboratory Consortium (FLC) coordination in the D.C. area with federal agencies and their laboratories, congressional staff, and trade, professional and other organizations. He brings over 23 years of professional experience to his current position, including seven years in academia and over 16 years in industry and government. Most recently, Jones was on the faculty of American University’s Washington Semester Program, where he served as an Academic Director for International Business & Trade. Prior to his academic experience, Jones’ career included work as an exploration geophysicist in the energy industry, a policy analyst supporting the U.S. Department of Energy, and a researcher with the Virginia Department of Economic Development. He holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Richmond, a Bachelor of Science in Geophysics from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, and has studied technology management and international business at the post-graduate level.

Roy Keller, Associate Director, Louisiana Business & Technology Center

Roy Keller serves as the Associate Director of the Louisiana Business and Technology Center, a high-tech, small business incubator on the campus of Louisiana State University.  He also serves as Director of the Louisiana Technology Transfer Office (LTTO).  The LTTO operates throughout Louisiana and also has offices at NASA’s John C. Stennis Space Center and the NASA Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans.  Keller has been on the Board of Directors of the International Technology Transfer Society for six years and currently serves as Vice President of Finance.  He is a board member of Partners for Stennis, a multi-state economic development organization.  He also serves on the Inventions and Innovations and the State and Local Government committees of the National Federal Laboratory Consortium and was given the 2007 Outstanding Service Award by the Consortium. Keller also currently serves as the Director of the Louisiana SBIR outreach program and as the Technology Transfer director for the Louisiana NASA Epscor program.

Bruce Kimball, PE, LEED® AP, Vice President, Principal of Engineered Systems Group, Strang, Inc.

Bruce Kimball, PE, LEED AP is as Vice President, Principal of Engineered Systems Group for Strang, Inc. Kimball has over 25 years of comprehensive mechanical, HVAC, fire protection, and plumbing design experience. He has provided mechanical engineering services for new construction and the alteration and renovation of existing facilities, in particular, science and technology types. Kimball evaluates multiple system alternatives as they relate to performance, energy efficiency, owners’ requirements, maintainability, and national sustainable guidelines.

Dr. Charles F. M. Kingdon, Director of Research Park and Industry Collaboration, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)

Dr. Kingdon came to KAUST after five years in the United States. As Associate Vice President for Technology Partnerships at Brown University, in Providence, Rhode Island, he was responsible for fostering research partnerships among the University and academic, corporate, public, government, and venture communities. There, Kingdon had a special focus on intellectual property and technology-related partnerships that furthered the societal impact and reach of the university's research. Research partners included the Marine Biological Laboratory at Woods Hole, Massachusetts, the local hospital network, Rhode Island research centers, and the local business community in New England. Significant areas of research interest include alternative and green energy, life sciences, marine biology, and metrology. A graduate of London University, Kingdon has straddled the worlds of academia and business throughout his career. He was the recipient of the first Industrial Fellowship at Trinity, Cambridge, under the supervision of Sir Hans Kornberg. His time there during the early stages of the Cambridge Phenomenon involved him in both bench research and in an intermediary role between the university, the technology community, and the emerging Trinity Science Park.

James (Buck) Koonce, Senior Advisor to Director, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

James (Buck) Koonce is a member of the Senior Management Team at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), serving as a Senior Advisor to Director assisting with the management of the Livermore Valley Open Campus (LVOC) and other special assignments. Prior to LLNL, Koonce held multiple senior management positions throughout a 35-year career with the University of California. His most recent assignment was with the University’s Office of the President (UCOP) as the Deputy Associate Vice President for Laboratory Management. Koonce had been intricately involved with the management and governance at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and is active in many DOE-wide initiatives.

Tom Kubala, Architect, Founding Principal, The Kubala Washatko Architects, Inc.

Tom Kubala, Principal and Co-Founder of The Kubala Washatko Architects, Inc., has directed many of the firm's award-winning projects and research endeavors. He has served as principal-in-charge for a wide range of master planning and sustainable design building projects. Kubala is a nationally-respected expert on "net-zero energy" and carbon neutral design as it applies to both large scale site planning and architectural design. As such, he is a frequently requested lecturer and speaker at conferences and in university classrooms. In October, 2011 Kubala will be a featured speaker at the Low Carbon Earth Summit to be held in Dalian, China.  Throughout the firm's 30-year history; The Kubala Washatko Architects, Inc.  has received over 80 state and national awards for design, including two national Committee on the Environment "Top Ten Green Projects" awards given by the American Institute of Architects.

Mitchell J. Landrieu, Mayor, The City of New Orleans

Mayor Mitch Landrieu was sworn in as the 61st Mayor of New Orleans on May 3, 2010 and has pledged to usher in a new era of peace and prosperity for the people of New Orleans. After Hurricane Katrina, Landrieu led the effort to rebuild the tourism industry and the thousands of jobs it creates. And when other government agencies failed, his team got more than $22 million in grant money from Congress into the hands of hundreds of homeowners quickly. During his tenure, he focused on creating jobs and launched the Cultural Economy initiative to grow jobs through our culture, music, food, film and art. The cultural economy accounts for 144,000 jobs in the State of Louisiana.  

Michael L. Marlaire, Director, NASA Research Park; Office of the Center Director, NASA Ames Research Center

Michael Marlaire is the Director of the NASA Research Park at NASA’s Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California. The NASA Research Park (NRP), an integrated, dynamic research and education community located in the heart of Silicon Valley, cultivates diverse partnerships with academia, industry and non-profit organizations in support of NASA’s missions. As the director of NRP, he manages and cultivates partnership development, land-use planning, leasing, and property management. Marlaire has worked at Ames since 1991. Between 1993 and 1998, he was chief of the External Affairs Division, which included public and legislative affairs, and education. Between 1998 and 2001, he also was given the NRP to manage and develop, and was made Chief of the Development and Communications Division. Between 2001and 2004, he reported directly to Ames Center Director Scott Hubbard, and was given the role of Assistant Center Director for Development. In 2005, he was made the Director for External Relations and Development. Today, Marlaire is the Director of NRP, which has more than 80 partnerships. After graduating from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, with a bachelor’s degree in American history and political science, he went on to receive a master’s degree in American history and public affairs and then received his Juris Doctorate in Law. He is licensed to practice Illinois law. After receiving a law degree, he competed for and was awarded the Presidential Management Fellow. In 1986, NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C. offered him a position, which moved him and his family to Columbia, Maryland for five years. While at NASA HQ, he worked on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee (1987) and U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee (1988-89).  

Dr. Michael V. Martin, Chancellor, Louisiana State University and A&M College

Dr. Michael V. Martin assumed the chancellorship of Louisiana State University and A&M College on August 1, 2008. Prior to his appointment as LSU’s eighth chancellor, Martin established a distinguished career in higher education, serving most recently as President of New Mexico State University. Before arriving at NMSU in 2004, Martin served for six years as vice president for agriculture and natural resources at the University of Florida, leading the university's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences with more than 3,000 employees statewide. He was elevated to senior vice president of the University of Florida shortly before being selected as NMSU's President. Previously, he was vice president for agricultural policy and the dean of the College of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences at the University of Minnesota. He began his academic career at Oregon State University as a faculty member in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics. An academic leader dedicated to the land-grant mission of teaching, research, and extension service, Martin is recognized as a strong voice for education and the agriculture industry. In 2007, he received the Justin Smith Morrill Memorial Award, named after the author of the bill creating land-grant universities, which honors outstanding service on behalf of the land-grant mission. Only six individuals have been designated to receive this award since it was first given in 1980.

Brian P. McGowan, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Atlanta Development Authority

In May 2011, Brian McGowan was named the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Atlanta Development Authority. Prior to that, McGowan served as U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development and Chief Operating Officer for the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) in September 2009. Before joining the Obama Administration, he was appointed by Governor Schwarzenegger and served as California’s Deputy Secretary for Economic Development and Commerce. McGowan has also served as chair of the California International Trade Advisory Council, chairman of the Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank and on the boards of a number of other economic and workforce development boards. He has over 15 years of economic development experience at all levels of government.

Teresa W. McKnight

Teresa W. McKnight currently holds the position as Executive Director of the Montana State University Research Park. Prior to coming to Montana State, she held the position of Chief Executive Director of the South Dakota State University Growth Partnership and Executive Director of the South Dakota State University Innovation Campus. During McKnight’s 5-year tenure at SDSU Innovation Campus, a 125-acre research park and the first to be constructed in the State of South Dakota, she was successful in raising over $32.6 million in grants, state, and private funds. Under McKnight’s leadership, and during down economic times, ground broke to construct Wing I of the Innovation Center Building; the Seed Technology Lab; completion of Infrastructure to the 125-acres; construction of a 126-unit corporate apartments and fitness center; and construction of Wing II of the Innovation Center Building as well as a speculative building constructed by a private developer.  Prior to coming to SDSU, she was Acting Director of the Utah State University Innovation Campus, a 173-acre, well-established research park in northern Utah.  McKnight holds 25 years of experience in university-related research parks and technology commercialization. While at Utah State University Innovation Campus, she was honored to receive the “Excellence in Rural Economic Development” from the Department of Commerce/Economic Development Administration.  McKnight also serves on the Association of University Research Parks Board of Directors and on the Brookings Health System Board of Trustees. She was honored in 2009 to receive the "Brookings Area Chamber of Commerce Achievement Award in Business." She holds degrees from Utah State University.

Bruce McLean Haxton, AIA, LEED AP, International Sustainable Consultant, Design Architect

Bruce McLean Haxton, with over 30 years of experience, has worked with number of internationally known architects. He is a sustainable design architect, specializing in laboratory and science park architecture.  He has been involved with many science campus and laboratory projects for both private and government clients besides numerous other building types: healthcare facilities, data centers, office buildings, performing arts centers, housing, education facilities, and airports.  He holds a Master of Architecture, Advanced Studies degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.  In the past 15 years, he has published over 45 articles and research papers with over half of these focusing on sustainable design topics.  He has spoken at seven International Association of Science Parks World Conferences and five Association of University Research Parks Annual Conferences.

James P. McNamara, President and Chief Executive Officer, BioDistrict New Orleans

 James P. McNamara is a vital member of his community and has served as a key player in strengthening the city of New Orleans in a host of ways, most recently applying his leadership skills to create a world-class biosciences industry that will ensure economic growth for the city and the region. McNamara currently serves as the president and C.E.O. of the BioDistrict New Orleans, a 1,500-acre district spanning the downtown and Mid-City areas of New Orleans. BioDistrict is focused on the development of a biosciences industry in New Orleans that will provide outstanding biosciences research; local, regional and global healthcare delivery; and stable, high-paying jobs for professionals, managers and workers representing a wide range of skills. McNamara has acted as the prime mover of BioDistrict for years, serving as chairman of its board before taking on his current position as president and C.E.O., leading a dedicated team of staff members and interns.  He has been the leader of the effort to re-establish Biosciences Sector of the New Orleans economy following its near-total destruction after Hurricane Katrina. Over the past 20 years, McNamara has been a board member of numerous organizations that have been involved in the development of Biosciences District and industry sector. As a result, he has first-hand knowledge and experience of inner workings of the institutional members. He has developed broad support for the industry amongst academics, community and business leaders, and the major business, political and social organizations.

Fred Meade, Senior Partner, Explorer Solutions

Fred Meade has enjoyed an extensive career in economic and technology development on an international scale. He directed the economic development offices of Sarasota, then Tampa, Florida before embarking on technology development projects as the director and chief operating officer for the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center and the Penn State Research Park, both with strong aeronautical engineering components. He recently completed a comprehensive feasibility study for a science park at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. He has served as an officer and project team leader for Montreal-based Corporate Affairs International, then SNC Lavalin, one of the world’s largest engineering firms. His work has ranged from international projects with USAID and the Urban Institute to major corporations, universities and institutional agencies. He has served as an officer and a member of the board of directors of the Association of University Research Parks (AURP) and board member of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) and American Economic Development Council (AEDC), among others. Meade holds a bachelor’s degree in communications management and a master’s degree in urban development management.

Jeanne Mell, Vice President, Marketing Communications and Community Development, The University City Science Center

Jeanne Mell joined The University City Science Center in March 2009 as Vice President Marketing Communications. She is responsible for all aspects of corporate marketing, program development, communications, public and media relations and community development. She also oversees the following programs at the Science Center: Breadboard, which explores the intersection between art, science and technology; Quorum, the entrepreneurs’ clubhouse; non-governmental fundraising. Immediately before joining the Science Center, Mell was Senior Vice President, Communications for the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce, where she had overall responsibility for print and electronic communications, public relations and media relations. She also oversaw the Chamber’s events department, had a role in program development and represented the Chamber in the community. Under Mell’s leadership, the Chamber’s communications department won more than 20 awards. In 2007, Mell was named to Delaware Today Magazine’s list of the top women in business in Delaware. Prior to joining the Chamber, Mell had a career in journalism. Most recently she served as Director of Photography and Design at The News Journal in Wilmington, Del. She also worked at the Associated Press in New York and Philadelphia, ABC News, Good Morning America and Popular Photography Magazine. She started her career at Inc. Magazine – back when it was a startup.

Dr. Joe W. Meredith, AURP Board of Directors, President, Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center

Dr. Joe Meredith is currently the President of the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center (CRC) in Blacksburg, Virginia. The CRC consists of over 100 high-technology companies that employ over 1,775 people. In 1997 the CRC was named, “Best Practice in Technology Transfer and Research Centers” in the eight-state, mid-Atlantic region. The park was selected to join an elite network of the best research parks in the world called “it-parcs.” Only one other U.S. park received this honor. In addition to managing the operation of the center, Meredith is responsible for facilitating technology transfer from the university, increasing the level of sponsored research at Virginia Tech, and marketing the CRC to prospective tenants. Meredith holds a bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering from Virginia Tech, a master's degree in Aeronautics, Astronautics, and Engineering Science from Purdue University, and a PhD in Industrial and Systems Engineering from Virginia Tech. He also is a graduate of the Defense Systems Management College's Program Management Course.

Dr. John L. Mitchiner, Senior Manager, Sandia National Laboratories

Dr. John L. Mitchiner is the Senior Manager for the Information and Cognitive Sciences (I&CS) Group at Sandia National Laboratories. Mitchiner currently leads a group of 75 people, consisting primarily of mathematicians, operations researchers, data analysts, economists, cognitive scientists and computer scientists with strong computational skills. His group develops computational tools to run on High Performance Computing platforms. Mitchiner received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from the University of California, Davis, specializing in systems and control theory. He received his PhD in engineering science from the Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College with an emphasis in policy modeling using system dynamics. He is the Deputy Director for Sandia’s Climate Change Program and Program Manager for the Modeling and Simulation component. The Climate Change initiative’s goal is to understand the national security aspects of climate change and to integrate Sandia’s capabilities into the Federal climate programs. This includes high fidelity regional modeling, uncertainty quantification, risk assessment/management and data gathering and analysis. He is also supporting the Greenhouse Gas Information System program development, a multi-lab initiative.

Jackie Kerby Moore, AURP Past President, Executive Director, Sandia Science & Technology Park

Jackie Kerby Moore, Past President of the Association of University Research Parks Board of Directors and Manager of the Sandia Technology and Economic Development Department serves as Executive Director for the Sandia Science & Technology Park. Because of synergistic programs like New Mexico Small Business Assistance and Entrepreneurial Separation to Transfer Technology, Moore has been recognized with the Small Business Advocate of the Year Award and Who’s Who in Technology Award. In addition, Moore’s programs have received Outstanding Partnership Awards from the Federal Laboratory Consortium (FLC) and Moore was awarded the AURP 2010 Career Achievement Award. Moore regularly speaks on the topic of research parks at conferences and events around the world including China, Taiwan, Finland, France, Spain, Mexico and Canada.

Gregory S. Napier, RLA, LEED® AP, AURP Board of Directors, Assistant Director – Real Estate / Physical Facilities, Purdue Research Foundation

Gregory S. Napier manages the master planning, development, construction and maintenance of the physical assets of the Purdue Research Foundation, including the four research parks based in West Lafayette, Indianapolis, Merrillville and New Albany. As ownership representative for the Purdue Research Foundation, Napier’s responsibilities include project management to ensure the projects reflect positively upon the Foundation and Purdue University, and to provide direct supervision to the facilities management team. He also is involved with recruiting companies to the Purdue Research Park system, which aids in the economic development of the State of Indiana. As senior project manager for the Purdue Research Park of West Lafayette, Napier oversaw the development of multiple park expansions. In addition, he led the master plan development and implementation of the Foundation’s newest research parks in Merrillville, New Albany and Indianapolis, totaling 525 acres.

John Paul Peterson, Senior Associate, Sherwood Design Engineers

John Paul Peterson, Senior Associate at Sherwood Design Engineers, leads their Energy Infrastructure and Systems Design efforts for both national and international projects. As a leading designer, his expertise lays in energy system design at all scales of planning, building integrated systems, energy performance, passive building design, modeling, and life cycle cost analysis. His passion is working closely with his clients to achieve their sustainable project goals and he excels at creative collaboration with owners, planers, architects and fellow engineers.  For years Peterson has been at the leading edge of Zero Energy and LEED-Platinum project design throughout North America. Peterson has served as Engineer of Record for projects that range from a 450,000 square-foot LEED-Platinum Federal Building Renovation in Portland, Oregon to Zero Energy education buildings in Marin County. He holds a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from Messiah College in Pennsylvania and is a registered Mechanical Engineer in the State of California. He appears as a guest lecturer at California College of the Arts and a presenter at regional and national planning and design conferences.

Ed Poppell, Vice President for Business Affairs and Economic Development, University of Florida

Ed Poppell has been in Higher Education Administration for 40 years.  He has an undergraduate degree in business from Florida State University and a master’s degree from the University of Florida. As Vice President for Business Affairs & Economic Development, Poppell is responsible for all basic support services at the University of Florida; such as Police, Construction Management, Utilities, Environmental Health & Safety, Physical Plant/Facilities, Master Planning, Sustainability, Business Services, Food Service, Bookstore, the O’Connell mass seating facility, and Parking Services.  In addition, he is responsible for the historic properties managed by the University of Florida in the City of St. Augustine; and more recently, guiding the development of Innovation Square. In addition to he duties as Vice President for Business Affairs & Economic Development, he is also a member of the Board of Directors and Past President of Oak Hammock CCRC at the University of Florida, board member for the University of Florida Foundation, the University of Florida Research Foundation, and the Proton Therapy Institute, a member of the City/County Metropolitan Transportation Planning Organization, and a member and past board member of the Southern Association of College & University Business Officers, as well as member of the National Association of College & University Business Officers.

Teifion Rice-Evans, Principal, Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.

Teifion Rice-Evans is a land-use and development economist and principal with Economic & Planning Systems, Inc. He has over 15 years of experience advising cities, developers and universities on the linkages between regional economics, demographic trends, real estate development and place-making. His body of work includes providing analytical and advisory services in support of the revitalization and development of numerous brownfields, university research parks and underutilized employment districts. He has recently contributed to the ongoing NASA Research Park (Silicon Valley), the Livermore Valley Open Campus (LVOC) and South Fremont/RUMMI Reuse and Revitalization projects.

Thomas Robbins, Esq., Chief and Executive Director of Public Safety, Boston University

Tom Robbins joined Boston University in June of 2006 as Chief and Executive Director of Public Safety after a 27 year career with the Massachusetts State Police. Chief Robbins has held many positions within the State Police culminating in being named Superintendent of the State Police by Governor Mitt Romney.

Prior to being named the Superintendent of the State Police, Chief Robbins was asked by, then Governor, Jane Swift, to take over as the Head of Security for Logan International Airport.  During his tenure as Head of Security he developed many security firsts for Logan:

• -The first airport to have police officers trained and equipped with sub-machine guns for patrol.
• -The first airport to conduct random roadblocks to search vehicles entering the airport.
• -The first in the nation in developing a behavior assessment system for police officers to stop and interview persons at the airport who exhibit threatening behavior.

Chief Robbins has a bachelor’s degree from Northeastern University, a master's degree from Westfield State College and a law degree from Suffolk Law School. He lives on the North Shore with his wife and two children, who are avid Terrier hockey fans! 

Bonita Robertson, JD, Special Counsel to the President, BioDistrict New Orleans

Bonita Robertson is a graduate of Howard University where she obtained a Bachelor of Science in health management and is a recent graduate of Loyola University College of Law.  Robertson was hired by BioDistrict New Orleans in October of 2010 as Special Counsel for the District and has worked on various projects including a summarization of the legal authority of the BioDistrict; a determination of employee status vis-à-vis civil service classification and other legal matters. She was instrumental in the crafting of a memorandum of understanding with the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to develop Louisiana’s first biotech career pathway, and serves on the Governing Board of the New Orleans Workforce Funders Collaborative (New Orleans Works). She manages the BioDistrict Workforce Partnership that includes employers, educational and medical institutions.

Dr. Loren C. Scott, Professor Emeritus, Louisiana State University and President, Loren C. Scott & Associates, Inc. 

Dr. Loren C. Scott is the President of Loren C. Scott & Associates, Inc., a 30-year old economic consulting firm whose clients include such large national firms as BellSouth, Capital One Financial, Entergy, ExxonMobil, J.P. Morgan Chase, and a diversity of others.  He is one of the 32-member National Business Economic Issues Council, which meets quarterly to discuss issues of state, national, and international interest. This group has experts who cover international trade, Washington economic policy, retail trade, trucking, steel, chemicals, etc.  Scott is an energy specialist on the NBEIC. He has been appointed to the Economic Advisory Board of the U.S. Council on Competitiveness---a group made up of the CEOs of the Fortune 100, top university presidents and presidents of three major unions. He has been interviewed on CNBC, MSNBC, and Bloomberg TV, in addition to several local TV stations, and his work has been cited in such publications as the Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, USA Today, and the Financial Times, to name a few. His career started at Louisiana State University in 1969 where he spent the next 33 years, rising through the ranks from assistant professor to the prestigious Freeport McMoran Endowed Chair of Economics and the Director of the Division of Economic Development and Forecasting.  Over the thirteen-year period from 1983-96, he was the chairman of the Economics Department at LSU.  During that time, the Department’s ranking among the 3,000 economics departments in the U.S. rose from 101st to 38th. He is presently Professor Emeritus at LSU. He received 7 awards at LSU for outstanding classroom teaching. He gives 50-70 speeches a year on the state of the economy.

Dr. Richard A. Skinner, Senior Consultant, Harris/IIC Partners

Dr. Richard (Rick) Skinner is Senior Consultant for the executive search firm, Harris/IIC Partners.  After presidencies of three higher education institutions, including American and Canadian universities, he served as Senior Vice President for Programs and Research for the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges.  He earned the doctorate in international studies from the University of South Carolina and has written and published on international education, information technology and online learning, and leadership and governance in higher education and spoken to audiences around the world and across the U.S and Canada. 

Tom Smith, AIA, LEED® AP, Vice President and Design Principal, HDR, Inc.

With over 25 years of experience in the industry, Tom Smith has specialized in the design of complex research facilities for the past decade. His portfolio is comprised of large-scale projects worldwide, including extensive work in the U.S., UK, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. He leads the development of exceptional, award-winning architecture; guiding the design team from concept through construction. Smith is recognized for his leadership and his insistence on maintaining and enhancing agreed-upon guiding design principles to create strong, memorable architecture that succeeds both functionally and aesthetically.

Harold E. Strong, Jr., AURP President, Director, University of North Texas Discovery Research Parks and Technology
Transfer, University of North Texas

Robert C. Tucker, JD, Partner, Jones Walker

Bob Tucker is the leader of Jones Walker’s Intellectual Property Team.  For more than 25 years, he has engaged in all aspects of intellectual property law practice, including preparation and prosecution of patent applications covering a wide variety of inventions; patent infringement and validity studies; trademark availability searches; the preparation and filing of trademark applications; trademark infringement studies, negotiating, drafting, and providing consultation regarding intellectual property licenses and assignments; due diligence relating to the acquisition and licensing of intellectual property; and litigation of infringement lawsuits involving patents, trade secrets, unfair competition, trademarks, and other technical issues.  He represents universities on technology transfer matters, as well as many entrepreneurs and start-up companies on intellectual property and business issues. Prior to his career as an attorney, Tucker practiced as a registered professional engineer, managing both engineering and construction firms. Tucker is a frequent lecturer at numerous business and education seminars on intellectual property, technology management, and other business and technical subjects.

Catherine E. Vorwald, MS, MBA, Director of Business Development, Wexford Science + Technology, LLC

As Director of Business Development for Wexford Science + Technology, LLC, a real estate developer of university technology research parks, Catherine E. Vorwald has marketing and business development experience at companies ranging from Fortune 500 to start-up, has academic research experience at the NIH and the University of California, San Francisco; and has technology transfer experience at both Stanford and Johns Hopkins Universities. She is currently a board member of the Emerging Technology Center of Baltimore business incubator, and a former board member of The Licensing Executives Society USA-Canada, Inc., and the LES Foundation. Vorwald holds a Master of Business Administration in Finance from The Johns Hopkins University as well as a Master of Science and a Bachelor of Science in biological sciences from Georgetown University and the University of California, Santa Cruz, respectively.

Eileen Walker, MBA, Chief Executive Officer, Association of University Research Parks (AURP)
 
Eileen Walker is the Chief Executive Officer of the Association of University Research Parks (AURP), which fosters innovation, commercialization and economic growth in a global economy through university, industry and government partnerships. The organization is comprised of university’s operating and planned research, science and tech parks from all around the world. Walker regularly consults with universities and parks regarding best practices. Recently, Walker was selected to serve as a Fulbright Specialist, to work with the Universidad de Antonio Narino in Bogota, Colombia, on the planning for their new research park, by the United States Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. Eileen directed the Arizona State University Research Park in Tempe, Arizona, a university research park comprised of over two million square feet of developed space for many years, and during this time, served as a member of the Board of Directors of AURP, and as an executive officer of the Arizona Bioindustry Association.  Currently, she serves on the Board of Directors of Habitat for Humanity Tucson. She is a graduate of the University of Colorado at Boulder, and holds a Master of Business Administration in International Management degree from the American Graduate School of International Management (Thunderbird). Additionally, Eileen was designated a Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) of the National Real Estate Institute in 2002.

Rob White, Director of Economic Development, City of Livermore; Chief Executive Officer, Innovation for Green Advanced Transportation Excellence Innovation Hub

Rob White is the Director of the City of Livermore’s Economic Development Department and Chief Executive Officer of the Innovation for Green Advanced Transportation Excellence (i-GATE) Innovation Hub (iHub). Since joining the City of Livermore in 2007, he has been responsible for business attraction, retention and growth; innovation, science and technology; workforce development, and coordination with local, regional, state and federal organizations. As i-GATE Chief Executive Officer, he is playing a prominent role in establishing a transportation and energy technology incubator, forming academic alliances to foster post-graduate opportunities in the Livermore Valley, and supporting the technology transfer activities by Lawrence Livermore and Sandia National Laboratories.

Wayne Whiting, AIA, ICC, Vice President, Principal of Science & Technology Group, Strang, Inc.

Wayne Whiting, AIA, ICC is the Vice President, Principal of Science & Technology Group for Strang, Inc. Whiting has over 26 years of comprehensive, architectural experience that includes a range of complex building types including research and development facilities, analytical laboratories, higher education, STEM facilities, commercial, healthcare and municipal projects. He has extensive renovation and remodeling experience including building performance surveys and the evaluation of costs associated with renovation and facility upgrades.

Bruce A. Wright AURP Past President, Associate Vice President for University Research Parks, University of Arizona

Bruce Wright is responsible for directing the University of Arizona’s research parks, which includes the University of Arizona Science and Technology Park (UA Tech Park), the Arizona Bioscience Park (UA Bio Park) and the Arizona Center for Innovation (AzCI).  Wright has served in several different capacities during his more than twenty years at the University of Arizona, including director of the Office of Community and Public Service, Assistant to the President, Senior Officer for Community Affairs and Economic Development, and Associate Vice President for Economic Development.  Wright’s research interests include regional economic development, international trade and business development, and technology development and commercialization. He serves as an adjunct instructor in the Department of Geography and Regional Development. Wright is active in several community organizations including the Arizona Mexico Commission, Governor’s CANAMEX Corridor Task Force, Critical Paths Institute National Advisory Board, Southern Arizona Leadership Council, DM 50, and Bioscience Leadership Council of Southern Arizona.

Phil Yuska, Business Development Manager, Performance Services, Inc.

Phil Yuska is a business development manager for Performance Services, an Indiana-based design-build engineering company. Yuska began his career with Siemens as a design engineer in 1989. Following his passion to create customized solutions for his customers, he later moved to business development to focus on control systems, life safety, HVAC renovations and renewable energy initiatives. After 15 years of experience, Yuska joined the Performance Services team in 2004 to pursue work in the higher education market as well as expand the company’s presence in the municipal and commercial building markets. With customer satisfaction as his guidepost, he recognizes that providing comprehensive and long-term solutions is the key to success and for building lasting customer relationships. Yuska’s experience includes the design and implementation of a master energy plan for Purdue University's Calumet Campus. In 2010-2011, Yuska led his team on the implementation of a deep energy retrofit at the Indianapolis City-County Building, a $15 million guaranteed energy savings project, the goals of which are to reduce energy consumption by over 40%, achieve the Energy Star label and become one of the most energy efficient public buildings in the nation. A Purdue University graduate, Yuska earned his Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering in 1989. He holds membership with the Indiana Solar Working Group and Indiana Society of Marketing Professional Services.

Scott Zigmond, MBA, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Performance Services, Inc.

Scott Zigmond is the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Performance Services, an Indiana-based, design-build engineering company. Zigmond joined the company in 2009 after five years at Roche Diagnostics, where he served as Vice President of Sales for Centralized Diagnostics.  After graduating from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1988, Zigmond served in the U.S. Army in addition to earning his MSBA in Business Management from Boston University’s Overseas Program in Germany.